11. Children as consumers

51 National child consumer education strategies should be developed for implementation in all Australian infants, primary and secondary schools and in TAFEs.

Implementation. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism and DEETYA should develop these strategies in conjunction with the relevant State and Territory consumer affairs and education authorities.

52 Legislation similar to the Minors (Property and Contracts) Act 1970 (NSW) should be adopted on a national basis for young people aged 16 and 17.

Implementation. The Attorney-General, through the Standing Committee of Attorneys-General (SCAG), should encourage the States and Territories to enact legislation to this effect.

53 Information about remedies available under the Trade Practices Act and fair trading legislation should be included in the national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51.

54 The same exception to time limitations should apply to child litigants under the Trade Practices Act as to other child civil litigants.

Implementation. Section 82(2) of the Trade Practices Act should be amended to enable a person who suffers damage or loss as a child to commence an action at any time within the three years following his or her eighteenth birthday.

55 The European Union product safety model for children’s toys should be examined to determine whether it would provide more effective protection for children from injury from defective or dangerous products than the current Australian regime.

Implementation. The Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs should commission this investigation.

56 Organisations should take the needs of children into account when developing complaints schemes, codes of conduct and consumer charters.

Implementation. The ACCC, the Office for Small Business and the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism should develop and promote guidelines to ensure these schemes are responsive to children.

57 General information about banking services should be included in the national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51.

58 Information about the services provided by the Australian Banking Industry Ombudsman should be included in the national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51.

59 Information about the Financial Counselling Program administered by the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism should be included in the national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51.

60 The proposed Australian Corporations and Financial Services Commission should have regard to the specific needs of child consumers in the banking industry when developing complaints lodging and handling procedures.

61 Information about media complaints mechanisms should be included in the national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51.

62 Media service providers, the ABA and the Classification Board should ensure that their complaints procedures are appropriately modified for child consumers.

63 International and Australian research on the effects of the media on children at different ages and stages of development should be comprehensively reviewed to determine more clearly what is harmful to the variety of child consumers. A summary of the results should be distributed to legislators, regulators, media providers and schools.

Implementation. The Department of Communications and the Arts, the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism and the ABA should conduct this review in consultation with relevant community groups. The review results should be distributed by OFC.

64 The national child consumer education strategies proposed at recommendation 51 should strongly encourage all States and Territories that have not already done so to include compulsory units on critical evaluation of the media, including advertising, in primary and secondary school syllabuses.

65 The proposed Advertising Standards Board should take into account the particular needs of child consumers when considering complaints about advertising.

66 Research on the effects of advertising on children at different ages and stages of development should be reviewed to enable the preparation of best practice guidelines for all advertisers to protect children at different ages and stages of development from harm.

Implementation. The Department of Communications and the Arts, the ABA and the Consumer Affairs Division of the Department of Industry, Science and Tourism should conduct this review in consultation with the relevant community groups, provide the results to OFC and assist OFC to develop appropriate best practice guidelines for distribution to advertisers.